Reckless & Ruined (16 page)

“There’s nothing,” Alessa said slowly, forcing herself to stay calm. In reality, her heart was beating out of control as her brother looked her over like he was searching for any sort of lie in her words. “We’re just friends, Joel. Honestly. I’m not an idiot.”

“I—”

“Look at me, Joel,” she interrupted bitingly. “Look at my face. Dean did this. He saw something innocent and went insane. There’s nothing between Adriano and I. There has never been anything between us.”

Every single word she spoke was a lie.

It fucking downright ached to do it.

Joel didn’t look entirely convinced or pleased. “I’ll be watching you, Alessa. If you disobey me, I’ll make sure Dean gets his wish before the engagement even happens. Is that understood?”

A cold shiver ran down Alessa’s spine.

“You’re an asshole,” Abriella spat.

Joel sneered. “This isn’t news.”

“We just wanted to have a little fun, Joel,” Alessa said.

“Maybe so, but you knew better. As far as Adriano being at the Rossi club, it certainly answers a few questions for me that I’ve been wondering about. Tommas isn’t being as truthful as he seems.”

Abriella opened her mouth but shut it just as fast.

There was enough hate, distrust, and violence to go around. No matter what anyone said or did, it would only grow.

“Before Friday, this apartment needs to be emptied,” Joel repeated. “A car will be here in the morning to pick you up at eight sharp for church. Do not keep the driver or me waiting. Neither of you will like what happens if you do.”

Without another word, Joel vacated the sisters’ apartment. Alessa glared daggers at the closed door, wishing it would implode on itself. Abriella’s aggravated sigh brought Alessa’s attention back to her sister.

“Where in the hell were you?” Alessa asked.

Abriella waved her hands high. “At the club!”

“Where, Ella?”

“In the back office with Tommy,” Abriella said quietly. “We were having a smoke and talking.”

And apparently being too busy to notice someone storming the club looking for them.

Alessa’s anger was boiling. “Did you see what they did to Adriano?”

Abriella flinched. “He’ll be fine.”

“Someone shot a gun and someone else died!”

“I didn’t see who did that, Lissa.”

Alessa huffed, too pissed to think straight. “You know what, I’m over this night.”

“Lissa, wait,” Abriella said when Alessa turned away from her sister.

“What?”

“I’m sorry. Okay? I really am, Alessa. We were honestly just chilling out and talking. Tommy and I don’t get to do that a lot anymore. One of his guys came into the office going on about Dean showing up with his people. We got out of the office as quickly as we could and tried to find you. I figured you would probably try and get Adriano out tonight or whatever.”

Alessa’s guilt ate at her insides. “It’s not your fault. I knew better.”

“You shouldn’t have to know anything. Adriano is a great guy.”

“I almost got him beat to death tonight,” Alessa argued.

“Don’t worry, Dean will get his,” Abriella replied. “Trust me.”

“How?”

“He’s not made. Adriano is. Your possible future status to Dean doesn’t matter, he should have known better than to attack a made man like that. If Riley lets that go unanswered, he’s only asking for trouble.”

Alessa hadn’t expected her sister to sound so agreeable to Riley Conti. “Which side are you on, Ella?” 

Abriella shrugged. “Tommy’s.”

Well, that answered everything.

Not
.

“I am sorry,” Abriella said. “I feel like I have to look out for you sometimes, Lissa.”

“You don’t, Ella.”

“Yeah, I kind of do. Joel is a dick. Mom and Dad are useless. I used to have Granddaddy wrapped around my finger, but now he’s dead and we’re stuck with what is left.”

Alessa smiled sadly. “We have each other.”

Abriella nodded. “Exactly. So, I do have to look out for you. Simple as that.”

Without a doubt, Alessa loved her sister. They’d always been close and shared everything. There were no secrets between the two.

“I can’t marry Dean,” Alessa said. “Look at what he did to me, Ella.”

“I know,” her sister whispered.

“I know right now it’s just the promise of an engagement, but Joel could change that any day and then I’m stuck with that asshole. What am I going to do?”

“We’ll figure something out, Alessa.”

“Do you believe that?”

“I believe that.” Abriella grinned and added, “Just nod and smile for now. That’s what Dean wants. But he’s stupid and bound to fuck up. Let him.”

“We’ll see. How’s Tommas doing with everything, anyway?”

Abriella’s eyes dimmed. “You know I love you and that you’re a great roommate, right?”

“So you always say.”

“But this isn’t home,” Abriella said softly. “And Tommy is alone at home.”

Yeah. Alessa got what her sister was saying without saying it. Abriella often spent more time away from their apartment than she did in it. Alessa always covered for her when Abriella stayed at Tommas’ place, an apartment that he rented especially for Abriella even though he owned his own home. Unfortunately, with the Outfit in an uproar like it was, Abriella couldn’t afford to take those kinds of risks.

Tonight was the perfect example.

“Don’t worry about it, Alessa. Just get some sleep.”

Alessa laughed. “I should.”

Abriella made a face. “Church, bright and early.”

“The joy. I can feel it.”

Alessa gave her sister a tight hug before leaving Abriella alone in the living room. Padding down the hallway to where her bedroom was at the very end, Alessa rubbed at her sore, bruised cheek. By morning, she was sure it would look terrible. Not even makeup would hide that mess completely.

Alessa yanked open her bedroom door and froze right where she stood.

Adriano pushed up from the edge of her bed with the grace of a predator. “Hey.”

What?

A slow smile tugged at the corners of Adriano’s mouth. The left side of his bottom lip was split and a reddish bruise was beginning to form on his jaw. The sight broke Alessa’s heart but hell, he was alive.

“Hey,” she finally managed to say.

Adriano laughed as Alessa slammed her bedroom door shut. “Joel sounds pissed.”

“He is.”

“I still have your spare keys.”

Alessa nodded. “I guess so.”

“This is probably stupid.”

“You being here?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Adriano said.

“It’s reckless.”

“Do you care?”

“No,” Alessa replied.

Adriano took two long strides forward, coming to stop in front of Alessa. His fingers ghosted over the scratches and bruises on her face. “Did he do this?”

Alessa didn’t need to ask who he meant. Adriano knew. “Yes.”

Rage bloomed in his green eyes, but Adriano hid it well.

His words, however, hid nothing.

“I’ll kill him.”

Alessa had nothing to say to that except, “I love you.”

“I love you,” Adriano echoed.

“There was a gun …”

Adriano’s gaze flicked away from hers fast. “Yeah, mine.”

Oh.

“I wouldn’t have brought it out, but they didn’t give me a choice,” Adriano added quickly. “They were all around me. I needed them off.”

“You don’t have to explain,” Alessa murmured.

“Don’t I?”

“No.”

Because she loved him.

Adriano cupped Alessa’s cheek with a gentle touch. “I’m always going to protect what is mine. You understand that, don’t you?”

Alessa nodded. “Yes.”

“That means I’m going to do whatever I have to so that you’re safe and happy, Alessa. Nobody else matters to me. If that means I have to throw myself headfirst into this mess with the Outfit, then that’s what I’ll do. I’ve tried to be neutral—I can’t be after tonight. And sometimes, it’s not always going to be pretty the way I do it.”

“It doesn’t have to be.”

“Good,” Adriano said. “I just needed to make sure you understood that.”

“I’m not looking for a good man.”

“Just yours, huh?”

“Just mine,” she agreed.

“I needed to be here, to know you were okay,” he said, his tone softer than Alessa had ever heard it before. “I promise I’ll get out of here without anyone ever seeing me.”

“There’s an enforcer at the door, apparently.”

Adriano chuckled. “There’s a roof exit and a next door building only a couple feet away. I’ll jump across and exit there.”

Alessa was impressed. “Smart man.”

“Very.”

“Kiss me, Adriano.”

He didn’t disappoint.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“L
et me see it,” Riley demanded.

Adriano tilted his head up, giving his father access to the bruise and cut he sported from the previous night’s fight at Tommas’ club.

“Jesus, son.”

“Yeah, I know.”

It still hurt like a motherfucker, too.

Adriano wouldn’t show it.

“Christ, you’re one-hundred-ninety pounds of muscle and—”

“And Dean had four fools jump me from behind,” Adriano cut in fast. “What in the fuck do you expect, Dad?”

“Mitch ended up taking one of your bullets, huh?” Riley asked.

Adriano shrugged. “They didn’t give me a choice.”

“Well, nobody saw a thing, so we’ll use that to your favor at the moment.”

“Nobody ever sees anything,” Adriano muttered.

Riley didn’t respond to that. “Dean has grown a mighty set between his legs over the last week if he thinks something will excuse him from attacking a made man.”

“Is that all you’re worried about?” Adriano asked.

Riley laughed lowly. “You were at a Rossi’s club.”

Yeah, Adriano had been waiting patiently for this. “I was.”

“With Alessa.”

“Coincidence, nothing more. She happened to be there when I showed up,” Adriano lied.

Riley’s mouth drew tight in his annoyance. “I’m sure.”

“What are people saying?”

“That you were at a Rossi club and that speaks to the Rossi family’s allegiance,” Riley said.

“To us,” Adriano filled in.

Riley smiled confidently. “Yes. So, I will overlook your little fuckup with the Trentini girl as this puts me in a better place than I was yesterday. And I will demand something for …
this
,” Riley said, waving at Adriano’s face. “What a mess, son.”

“My face?”

“No, the Outfit. Although you could have used a good ice pack last night. It might have helped.”

“Maybe,” Adriano said.

Riley raised a single brow high. “Where did you go after the show at the club? I sent men out to your apartment and to some of your friends’ places. You should have come directly to me.”

Adriano didn’t miss a beat. “I decided to lay low for a while.”

“Where?”

“Somewhere safe; where no one would come searching for me,” Adriano said.

Riley took a deep breath and eyed his son over, looking for a lie. Adriano was used to this with his father. The man had been doing it ever since Adriano was a kid. It never worked.

“Is that so?” Riley finally asked.

“It is.”

“Still a damn mess, son.” 

Adriano agreed. “What is Tommas saying about last night?”

That’s what Adriano really wanted to know. Tommas hadn’t invited Adriano to the club. Adriano caused a lot of issues for the guy by bringing trouble in. The Capo could easily spill the truth, saving his own ass in the process.

“Tommas has been pretty neutral in this whole thing,” Riley said instead of answering Adriano’s question.

“I know. His father isn’t.”

“Laurent is like a fly you can’t kill. I’ve been waiting for the alcohol to eventually drown him, but maybe I’ll have to speed up the process. Nonetheless, I assumed Tommas’ friendship with Joel would keep the two close. I think this may drive the wedge I need in between them.”

“You didn’t answer me,” Adriano pointed out. “What is he saying?”

“Nothing. He is saying nothing.”

Maybe Tommas Rossi didn’t want to save his own ass. Or maybe he had something else to save.

Evelina tiptoed around her father and brother, a jar of something skin-toned in her hand. “Let me see.”

“Makeup?” Riley asked.

“Look at him, Dad. This will just hide the bruising for now.”

Riley sighed. “Fine. But make it good.”

Evelina didn’t even try to hide her glare. “Go away.”

“Going. Thirty minutes left, so hurry. Both of you.”

Adriano met his sister’s gaze as she dabbed a bit of makeup onto a sponge. Once his father was out of the room and far from hearing range, Adriano said, “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Evelina said, smiling. “You worried the shit out of me when the phone call came through about the club. Dad had guys going crazy out there looking for you, Adriano. I thought Dean might have … never mind, but it scared me.”

“I got out of there just fine,” Adriano said.

“Still!”

“Sorry, Eve.”

Evelina frowned, dabbing the sponge along his cheek. “Where did you really go last night?”

“Alessa’s.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah,” he replied. “I just used her spare key. No one was home when I got there.”